With the increase of age, human's physical condition as well as physiological condition always deteriorate. The aged people thus become less resistant to pathogens and less adaptive to sudden weather-change. The most important thing to keep them healthy is to increase the resistance and promote the adaptivity. Although the medical societies in all countries have been making efforts on this direction and have developed a variety of medicines, prescriptions including single and compound formulae, and dosages including oral, parenteral and suppository forms; however, synthetic processes for manufacturing such medicines are complicated and side effects of these medicines such as gastroentelic and hepatic damages sometimes occur. Therefore, those medicines are not as satisfactory as desired.
The arteriosclerosis is especially one of the most common diseases which occur during human aging process. When human gets older, the incidences of arteriosclerosis become higher. Generally, aortosclerosis and coronary arteriosclerosis come first, then cerebral arteriosclerosis occurs. If the patients suffer from hypertension simultaneously, it is even dangerous for the occurrence of cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral thrombosis. From the medical investigation, it is shown that the arteriosclerosis is the major factor causing the death of elderly people. Cardiovascular and cerebral vascular diseases make the major leading causes of death in Taiwan and the arterioscleros is by far an important factor causing such diseases.
Hyperlipemia is also a critical factor causing atheroscierosistic cardiac diseases. The reduction of Hyperlipemia can not only prevent apoplexy and hemiparalysis, but also prolong human's life. Therefore, to reduce the incidences of apoplexy and hemiparalysis, the occurrence and development of arteriosclerosis should be prevented and the study should be focused on lowering the level of lipid in blood.
The investigation also shows basically hypertension and arteriosclerosis are two main causes for the incidence of hemiparalysis. Among them, 80% of hemiparalysis are caused by hypertension and such hemiparalysis often occurs on elderly people. The hypertension is a chronic disease and always induces arteriosclerosis. The reason is that hypertension may cause higher tension of blood vessels and such a tension will act on endoaorterium to break elastic fiber of the vessels and damage the endoaorterium, thereby affects the permeability of blood vessels and the transportation of nutrients. The hypertension further easily induces the breakage of the capillaries and also induces the bleeding from the endoaorterium to form blood clots. Since the composition of the blood is changed, cholesterol and triglyceride in blood increase and cause arteriosclerosis.
When human suffering from hypertension, the thickening of blood vessels and the interaction of lipids in blood will cause the deposition of lipids on inside wall of the artery. The arterial wall will become thick hard and fragile, thereby losts its elasticity. When blood pressure suddenly increases, and the fragile arterial wall can no longer bear on it, the arterial wall will break and the bleeding occurs. The bleeding occuring on cerebrovasculum is called cerebral hemorrhage. If a patient suffering from hypertension is not properly treated, cerebral apoplexy most easily occurs and causes herniparalysis.
For patients suffering from hypertension, cerebral arteriosclerosis or abnormal hemodynamics, symptoms such as dizziness, ocula vertigo, and paralysis of thumb and forefinger always occur. An approach on how to notice these, symptoms in advance is studied and developed by those skilled in the medical field. Generally, in Chinese medicine, it is considered that plump persons who take high lipid-containing food frequently suffer from hemiparalysis easily. The occurrence of such hemiparalysis is attributed to deficiency of vital energy and formation of blood stasis. Furthermore, it is also attributed to clogging of channels and collaterals.
The process for preparing drugs or preparations for treating such diseases, however, is complicated and the side effects such as gasteroenteric and hepatic damage problems may occur after the administration. Drugs and preparations which are as satisfactory as desired have not been found yet.
While considering the danger of surgical removement of thrombus in the brain of a patient stuffering from apoplexy, the inventor has studied ancient literatures and done research based on the knowledge that a transdermic treatment is a safer method, and has invented in accordance with principles of Chinese medicine an herbal composition for middle-aged and elderly people to prevent apoplexy and cardiovascular thrombosis disorders, to decrease cholesterol to communicate channels and collaterals (to relieve soreness of muscle), to remove toxin from human body, to relieve lassitude and depression of spirits, to cure canes, athlete's foot, irregular menstruation, paralysis of limbs, and frozen shoulder.
Actually, the above diseases are fundamentally the same pathogenesis and all of them result from the obstruction of blood circulation and the accumulation of toxin in human body. With an herb composition for external application, instead of orally administration, the drug is transcutaneously delivered into human body. Side effects such as gasteroenteric and hepatic damage problems can be avoided. Because of its simplicity, safety and exact therapeutic effects, the transcutaneous treatment is a practical method.
When the herb composition is formulated into a paste, it can be applied to specific areas of human's skin or to an area corresponding to the organ to be treated. This external treatment is an important method for treating common diseases, chronic diseases, multiple diseases and intractable diseases.
The herbal paste as mentioned above is usually applied to human's skin in optional areas depending on various kinds of diseases to be treated. In general, the herbal paste is applied to human's skin in lower position if the focus locates at upper part of body, and vice visa. The herbal paste is also applied to human's skin for treating internal injury or directly applied to injured area. This transcutaneous treatment with herbal paste is an ancient teating method. In "Ben Tsao Gang Mu" (The name of a book in which about 1,000 plants and about 500 animals of medicinal value were listed. It was edited by Shih-Chen Lee during Ming dynasty in China), it is stated that "Raw aconite is ground and mixed with green onion juice to form a paste, and applied to Point Yungchuan (an acupuncture point located at the sole of the feet) to cure nose diseases.". Therefore, it has been used for quite a long time.
The reason for applying herbal paste to specific areas of human's skin or to an area corresponding to the organ to be treated is that there are many acupuncture points distributing over human's skin. It is well known that the acupuncture points corresponding to all organs are found at the sole of the feet, therefore the sole massage and/or kneading could attain certain therapeutic effects. However, the sole massage and/or kneading is a physicotherapy, it could only temporarily relieve the pain and could not attain exact therapeutic effects.
This invention provides an herb composition for external application, which is prepared by grinding certain herbs into powder, then the powder is formulated into an herbal paste. When the herbal paste is applied to specific areas of human's skin or to an area corresponding to the organ to be treated, the herb composition is absorbed via pores of the skin and easily delivered into human body through dermis. 90% of the dermis are connective tissues which comprise plenty of blood vessels, therefore the dermis play an important role to deliver the drug into the body. In those areas of treatment, for example, there are numbers of hair follicles of high permeability at Point Paihui (the acupuncture point located at the top of the skull), therefore it is advantageous to the absorption of the drug. Besides, the keratin layers in the skin of hands and feet are thinner, so they are the areas where the drug is easily absorbed. Furthermore, the acupuncture points distribute all over the channels and collaterals in human body. The channels and collaterals connect outwardly with the skin and inwardly with all the organs. They constitute the integral part and the unique system to communicate the whole human body. Therefore, being absorbed through the skin, the acupuncture points, and the channels and collaterals, the herb composition of the invention can develop its effects and cure the diseases.